Suture anchor

ABSTRACT

A suture anchor assembly includes an anchor body having a central longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end, a passage extending along the central longitudinal axis from an opening at the proximal end through a portion of a length of the anchor body, and a helical thread that defines a perimeter the proximal end of the anchor body. The passage has a first wall portion and a second wall portion. A rigid support extends across the passage and has a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion. The first portion is attached to the first wall portion and the second portion is attached to the second wall portion. A suture strand having a suture length is threaded into the passage, supported by the rigid support, and threaded past the proximal end of the anchor body. The rigid support is spaced axially away from the opening, and the suture strand extends out of the opening of the anchor body. A driver includes a shaft having a shaft length that engages the anchor body, and the suture length of the at least one suture strand is greater than the shaft length of the shaft.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/155,556 filed on Jan. 15, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/148,460 filed on Jan. 6, 2014, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,801,755 granted on Aug. 12, 2014, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/933,575 filed on Jul. 2, 2013, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,623,052 granted on Jan. 7, 2014, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/751,266, filed on Mar. 31, 2010,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/097,172filed on Apr. 4, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,343,186, granted on Jan. 1,2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/559,425, filed Apr. 6, 2004, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for anchoring surgicalsuture to bone. More specifically, the present invention relates to afully threaded suture anchor provided with a transverse anchor pin forsecuring, within the anchor, one or more strands of suture to anchor thesuture to bone during arthroscopic surgery.

When soft tissue tears away from bone, reattachment becomes necessary.Various devices, including sutures alone, screws, staples, wedges, andplugs have been used in the prior art to secure soft tissue to bone.

Recently, various types of threaded suture anchors have been developedfor this purpose. Some threaded suture anchors are designed to beinserted into a pre-drilled hole. Other suture anchors are self-tapping.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,100 discloses a cylindrical threaded suture anchor.The suture anchor of the '100 patent includes a drill bit at a leadingend for boring a hole in a bone, followed by a flight of threads spacedfrom the drill bit for securing the anchor into the hole created by thedrill bit.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,662 discloses a suture anchor having threads whichextend to the tip of the anchor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,616 discloses asimilar suture anchor having an axial opening for holding a knottedpiece of suture.

All of the above-noted suture anchors include structure for attachingthe suture to the anchor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,100, for example,discloses a press-fitted disc and knot structure which secures thesuture to the anchor. In other suture anchors, such as those disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,662, the suture is passed through an eyeletlocated on the proximal end of the anchor. In the case of abioabsorbable suture anchor, the suture may be insert molded into theanchor, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,783.

Problems can arise if the structure for attaching the suture fails,allowing the suture to become detached from the anchor. Also, the sutureoften is exposed to abrasion or cutting by sharp or rough areas alongthe walls of the bone canal into which the anchor is inserted.

Moreover, the eyelet or, in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,100, theaxial opening for receiving the disc to which the suture is knotted, isformed as part of the drive head of the known suture anchors. Combiningthese two functions in one structure often tends to weaken the drivehead.

In addition, various other modifications to the drive head often areemployed in connection with suture attachment. For example, recessedgrooves may be formed on opposite sides of the drive head to receive andprotect the suture from abrasive areas of the suture anchor tunnel or tofacilitate mating between the anchor to the driver. In such cases, thedrive head often must be made of a larger diameter to recover themechanical strength lost from the removal of material relating to thesuture-attachment or suture-protection modifications.

Further, the prior art suture anchors having eyelets extending from theproximal ends require countersinking of the eyelet below the bonesurface to avoid having the patient's tissue abrade against the exposedeyelet. As a result, suture attached to the eyelet is vulnerable toabrasion by the bony rim of the countersunk hole into which the sutureanchor is installed. In addition, in biodegradable suture anchors, thesuture eyelet can degrade rapidly, causing the suture to become detachedfrom the anchor prematurely.

Accordingly, there is a need for a threaded suture anchor to whichsuture is secured effectively so as to prevent detachment of the suture.It is further desirable for such suture anchors to have eyelets thatwill not abrade tissue and which do not require countersinking.

SUMMARY

An illustrative embodiment of the suture anchor of the present inventionovercomes the disadvantages of the prior art discussed above byproviding a threaded suture anchor having a transverse anchor pindisposed inside the body of the suture anchor. The suture anchor is madeof a biocompatible metal, preferably a titanium alloy.

The proximal end surface of the threaded suture anchor of the presentinvention is preferably smooth and rounded to minimize suture abrasion,while the distal portion of the anchor is tapered to an elongated pointto enable the anchor to be self-tapping. The proximal end portion of thesuture anchor body has a hexagonally shaped opening to accept ahexagonal drive head.

The internal transverse pin provides a support over which one or morestrands of suture can be looped, such that the suture is secured in arecessed fashion within the anchor.

Advantageously, suture attached to the anchor through the transverse pinexits the suture anchor through a central bore in the anchor, whichprevents suture abrasion by the wall of the bone tunnel into which theanchor is inserted.

An illustrative suture anchor assembly includes an anchor body having adistal end, a proximal end, an exterior surface, a length extendingalong a central longitudinal axis, and a passage. The passage extendsalong the longitudinal axis, at least partially along the length, andfrom an opening at the proximal end. An external helical thread extendsaround the passage. The anchor body fixes a rigid member againstrelative movement along the longitudinal axis. The rigid member has afirst dimension parallel to the central longitudinal axis and a seconddimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the second dimensionbeing longer than the first dimension. The rigid member extends acrossthe passage between a first portion of the exterior surface and a secondportion of the exterior surface. A suture including ends is receivedabout the rigid member and extends out of the opening. A driver includesa cannula having a distal opening and a proximal opening. The driverengages the anchor body, and the ends of the suture extend out of theproximal opening.

Another illustrative suture anchor assembly includes an anchor bodyhaving a distal end, a proximal end, an exterior surface, a lengthextending along a central longitudinal axis, and an internal passage.The passage extends along the longitudinal axis, at least partiallyalong the length, and from an opening at the proximal end. An externalhelical thread extends around the passage. The anchor body fixes a rigidmember against relative movement along the longitudinal axis. The rigidmember has a first dimension parallel to the central longitudinal axisand a second dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, thesecond dimension being longer than the first dimension. The seconddimension of the anchor body is associated with the rigid member and ismeasured between a first portion of the exterior surface and a secondportion of the exterior surface. A suture including ends is receivedabout the rigid member and extends out of the opening. A driver includesa cannula having a distal opening and a proximal opening. The driverengages the anchor body, and the ends of the suture extend out of theproximal opening.

Another illustrative embodiment of a suture anchor assembly includes ananchor having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis, a firstlength, and an internal passage within the anchor. The internal passagebegins at an opening in the proximal end and has a second length shorterthan the first length. A support structure fixed longitudinally relativeto the anchor extends across the internal passage and has a third lengthshorter than the second length. A suture within the internal passage isreceived about a distal surface of the support structure. A sutureextends out of the opening in the proximal end. A driver includes acannula having a distal opening and a proximal opening, and the sutureis received within the cannula. A first end and the second end of thesuture extend outside of the proximal opening, the driver having a drivesurface near the distal opening that engages the anchor.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the invention, which refersto the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the suture anchor of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suture anchor shown inFIG. 1 through the plane D-D indicated therein.

FIG. 3 is a proximal end view of the suture anchor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the suture anchor of FIG. 1 showinga suture looped over the transverse anchor pin.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the suture anchor of FIG. 1 showinga portion of a hex driver inserted into a hexagonally shaped bore.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the suture anchor of FIG. 1 showingmore of the hex driver inserted into a hexagonally shaped bore.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the suture anchor of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to variousspecific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Theseembodiments are described with sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood thatother embodiments may be employed, and that structural and logicalchanges may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a suture anchor according to a first preferredembodiment of the present invention, indicated generally by referencenumeral 110. In the preferred embodiment, body 108 of anchor 110generally tapers to a narrow point 114 at the distal end thereof. Inparticular, the major diameter of the anchor body is generally constantalong about two-thirds of the length of the body, whereupon the diameterof the anchor then tapers to a relatively sharp point, e.g.,approximately 16°. The relatively sharp distal tip of anchor 110 enablesthe anchor to be installed without having to first drill a hole in thebone where the anchor 110 is to be installed.

Although such tapering is preferred, suture anchor 110 may be formed tohave a less tapered shape, or even cylindrical shape, to accommodatedifferent preferences of the surgeon and/or the application of thesuture anchor. For example, the tapered distal end of the anchor may beformed to be more blunt, in which case it is necessary to provide apre-formed hole in the bone prior to insertion of the suture anchor.

A continuous thread 116 wraps around the body 108 in a clockwisedirection, as shown. Anchor 110 has about five flights of thread, withthe angle of the threads and other configurations of the anchor beingsimilar to the suture anchor of U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,499, the disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As can be seen more clearly with reference to FIG. 2, the proximal endportion of the anchor has a hexagonally shaped bore 132 having anopening 122 at the proximal end of anchor body 108 and extending intothe anchor body approximately one-third of the length thereof. Prior artanchors have sharp edges around the drive opening, which is problematicin that sutures passing through the central opening at the proximal endof the anchor can be abraded by the sharp edges, thereby compromisingthe strength of the sutures. The hexagonally shaped bore 132 includes atleast two internal faces (not numbered). The two internal facesintersect obliquely relative to each other. In one example, there aresix internal planar faces. In the suture anchor of the presentinvention, the peripheral edges defining hexagonally shaped opening 122is smooth and rounded outwardly with no sharp edges. Preferably, theopening 122 forms a slight lip curving around the diameter of the bore132. Thus, sutures threaded through the anchor 110, as will be discussedbelow, will not become frayed upon being pressed or rubbed against theanchor at the proximal opening 122.

A cylindrical bore 136 having a diameter corresponding to that of thehexagonally shaped bore 132 extends from the distal end of thehexagonally shaped bore 132 to a position roughly halfway along thelength of anchor body 108. The transition between hexagonally shapedbore 132 and cylindrical bore 136 forms an annular shoulder 134, againstwhich the distal end of a hex driver 202 abuts when inserted into thehexagonally shaped bore 132 to drive the anchor into bone. A wall 109surrounds the cylindrical bore 136 and the hexagonal shaped bore 132, asshown in FIG. 2.

Two longitudinal, diametrically opposite apertures 118 are formed inanchor body 108, the apertures 118 supporting a metal transverse anchorpin 120 which extends across cylindrical bore 136.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, apertures 118 extend through andinterrupt the threads 116 around anchor body 108 at approximatelyone-third of the length of the anchor body from the distal end thereof.One or more sutures 200 are secured to the anchor by looping thesuture(s) around metal anchor pin 120 as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7.Although the metal anchor pin 120 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 asoriented transverse to longitudinal axis 150 of the anchor body 108, themetal anchor pin 120 may form any angle with the longitudinal axis 150and, thus, the invention is not limited to metal anchor pin 120 formingan angle of about ninety degrees with the longitudinal axis 150 of theanchor body 108.

Preferably, suture anchor 110 is formed of a hard biocompatible metal,such as a titanium alloy, but can be made of biocompatible materialsother than metal. The suture secured to the anchor may be FiberWiresuture, sold by Arthrex, Inc. of Naples, Ha.

The suture anchor according to the present invention need not be formedas a threaded device, but can also be formed as a tap-in type anchor.Also, the measurements, angles and ratios between the dimensions of thesuture anchor may be varied from those described above so as to besuitable for the conditions and applications in which the suture anchoris to be used.

In manufacturing the suture anchor 110 in accordance with the presentinvention, the anchor body 108 is cast in a die, with the bores,passageways and apertures described above either being formed during thecasting process or formed afterwards. If necessary, the distal tip 114of the anchor 110 is trimmed to the desired length and the surfaces ofthe anchor are polished to the desired finish.

As mentioned above, the suture anchor of the present invention may beinstalled in the bone without the need to pre-drill a hole in the bone.The suture anchor is installed using a driver having a shaft having ahexagonal cross-section for at least a length equal to the length of thehexagonal bore 132 from proximal opening 122 to the shoulder 134 insidethe anchor 110. The driver has a cannula extending through the entirelength thereof, with openings at the proximal and distal ends thereof.Of course, the outer diameter of the hexagonal shaft is sized to fitinside the hexagonal bore in the anchor so as to be enabled to drive thesame.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with the desired number of suture strands 200threaded around the anchor pin 120 in the suture anchor 110, the ends206 and 208 of the suture strands 200 are threaded through the cannula204 in the hex driver 202 from the distal end thereof and extend fromthe proximal opening 216 thereof. The distal end 214 of the hex driver202 is inserted into the proximal end of the anchor 110. With the distalend of the hex driver 202 abutting the shoulder 134 and the anchor 110positioned at the location at which it is to be installed, the hexdriver 202 is rotated to drive the anchor 110 into the bone until theproximal surface of the anchor 110 is flush with the surface of thebone.

Since it is not necessary for the proximal end of the anchor to becountersunk below the bone surface to prevent tissue abrasion by anexposed suture loop, as is required with prior art devices, the sutureanchor of the present invention does not need to be inserted as far asthe prior art anchors, while also avoiding abrasion of the sutures bythe rim of the bone.

The suture anchor of the present invention provides greater pull-outstrength of the suture loop than prior suture anchors. In addition, thesuture loop of the present invention, being disposed inside the sutureanchor, is protected from abrasion and degradation.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.Therefore, the present invention is to be limited not by the specificdisclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A suture anchor assembly comprising: an anchorbody including a central longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distalend, a passage extending along the central longitudinal axis from anopening at the proximal end of the anchor body through at least aportion of a length of the anchor body, and a helical thread thatdefines a perimeter at least around the proximal end of the anchor body,wherein at least a portion of the passage has a first wall portion and asecond wall portion; a rigid support extending across the passage,wherein the rigid support has a first portion and a second portionspaced from the first portion, and the first portion is attached to thefirst wall portion of the anchor body and the second portion is attachedto the second wall portion of the anchor body; at least one suturestrand having a suture length threaded into the passage, supported bythe rigid support, and threaded past the proximal end of the anchorbody, wherein the rigid support is spaced axially away from the openingat the proximal end along the central longitudinal axis, and the atleast one suture strand extends out of the opening at the proximal endof the anchor body; and a driver including a shaft having a shaftlength, wherein the shaft engages the anchor body, and the suture lengthof the at least one suture strand is greater than the shaft length ofthe shaft.
 2. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 1, whereinthe anchor body and the rigid support are made of the same material. 3.The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the driver hasa first planar face and a second planar face, and the first planar faceand the second planar face of the driver engage the first wall portionand the second wall portion, respectively, of the passage of the anchorbody.
 4. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein thefirst wall portion and the second wall portion of the passage arelocated between the opening at the proximal end and the rigid support.5. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the helicalthread extends around at least a portion of the length of the anchorbody.
 6. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein thepassage at the proximal end of the anchor body is an internal passage.7. A suture anchor assembly comprising: an anchor body including adistal end, a proximal end, a length extending along a centrallongitudinal axis of the anchor body, a passage defined at leastpartially by a first interior surface spaced opposite to a secondinterior surface, and an exteriorly facing helical thread extendingaround the passage from the proximal end to a location near the distalend, wherein the passage extends about the central longitudinal axis,the passage extends from an opening located at the proximal end of theanchor body, and the passage extends at least partially along the lengthof the anchor body; a rigid support fixed by the anchor body againstrelative movement along the central longitudinal axis of the anchorbody, wherein the rigid support is attached to the first interiorsurface and to the second interior surface of the passage, and the rigidsupport is spaced axially away from the opening at the proximal endalong the central longitudinal axis; at least one tissue securing suturesupported by the rigid support, wherein the at least one tissue securingsuture includes a first end and a second end that extend out of theopening located at the proximal end of the anchor body; and a driverhaving a cannula, wherein the cannula has a distal opening and aproximal opening, the driver engaging the anchor body through at least aportion of the passage, and the first end and the second end of the atleast one tissue securing suture extend out of the proximal opening ofthe cannula.
 8. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 7,wherein the helical thread defines a perimeter that encircles theproximal end of the anchor body.
 9. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 7, wherein the helical thread surrounds an entirety ofthe passage.
 10. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 7,wherein the rigid support extends through the first interior surface andthe second interior surface of the passage of the anchor body.
 11. Thesuture anchor assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least onetissue securing suture is received about a leading distal surface of therigid support, and the leading distal surface extends across the centrallongitudinal axis of the anchor body.
 12. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 7, wherein the driver has a first planar face and asecond planar face, and the first planar face and the second planar faceof the driver engages the first interior surface and the second interiorsurface, respectively, of the passage of the anchor body.
 13. The sutureanchor assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the passage in aninternal passage.
 14. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 7,wherein the anchor body and the rigid support are made of the samematerial.
 15. A suture anchor assembly comprising: an anchor bodyincluding a distal end, a proximal end, a length extending along acentral longitudinal axis of the anchor body, a passage defined at leastpartially by a first interior surface spaced opposite to a secondinterior surface, an anchor stop, and an exterior helical threadextending around at least a portion of the passage, wherein the passagesurrounds the central longitudinal axis, the passage extends from anopening located at the proximal end of the anchor body, and the passageextends at least partially along the length of the anchor body; a rigidsupport fixed by the anchor body against relative movement along thecentral longitudinal axis of the anchor body, wherein the rigid supportbranches from the first interior surface and the second interior surfaceof the passage, and the rigid support is spaced axially away from theopening at the proximal end along the central longitudinal axis; atleast one tissue securing suture having a suture length and supported bythe rigid support, wherein the at least one tissue securing sutureincludes a first end and a second end that extend out of the openinglocated at the proximal end of the anchor body; and a driver having acannula and a drive stop, wherein the cannula has a distal opening and aproximal opening, the driver engaging the anchor body through at least aportion of the passage, the first end and the second end of the at leastone tissue securing suture extend out of the proximal opening of thecannula, and the drive stop and the anchor stop abut along the centrallongitudinal axis of the anchor body to stop movement of the shaft intothe passage of the anchor body.
 16. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 15, wherein the anchor stop is located inside theanchor body.
 17. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 15,wherein the anchor stop is located in the passage of the anchor body.18. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein a portionof the at least one tissue securing suture that is received inside thepassage is surrounded by the helical thread of the anchor body.
 19. Thesuture anchor assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein the driver has afirst planar face and a second planar face, and the first planar faceand the second planar face of the driver engage the first interiorsurface and the second interior surface, respectively, of the passage ofthe anchor body.
 20. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 15,wherein the anchor body and the rigid support are made of the samematerial.
 21. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 15, whereinthe passage is an internal passage.
 22. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 15, wherein the at least one tissue securing suture isreceived about a leading distal surface of the rigid support, and theleading distal surface extends across the central longitudinal axis ofthe anchor body.
 23. A suture anchor assembly comprising: an anchor bodyincluding a distal end, a proximal end, a length extending along acentral longitudinal axis of the anchor body, a passage defined at leastpartially by a first interior planar surface spaced opposite to a secondinterior planar surface, an exterior surface, and an exterior helicalthread extending around at least a portion of the passage, wherein thepassage extends about the central longitudinal axis, the passage extendsfrom an opening located at the proximal end of the anchor body, and thepassage extends at least partially along the length of the anchor body;a rigid support fixed by the anchor body against relative movement alongthe central longitudinal axis of the anchor body, wherein the rigidsupport is secured to the first interior planar surface and to thesecond interior planar surface of the passage, and the rigid support isspaced axially away from the opening at the proximal end along thecentral longitudinal axis; at least one tissue securing suture supportedby the rigid support, wherein the at least one tissue securing sutureincludes a first end and a second end that extend out of the openinglocated at the proximal end of the anchor body; and a driver having acannula, wherein the cannula has a distal opening and a proximalopening, the driver engaging the anchor body through at least a portionof the passage, and the first end and the second end of the at least onetissue securing suture extend out of the proximal opening of thecannula.
 24. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 23, whereinthe rigid support is secured in a fixed longitudinal position by thefirst interior planar surface and the second interior planar surface ofthe passage of the anchor body.
 25. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 23, wherein a portion of the at least one tissuesecuring suture that is received inside the passage is encompassed bythe exterior surface of the anchor body.
 26. The suture anchor assemblyas recited in claim 23, wherein the first interior planar surface andthe second interior planar surface are both generally parallel to thecentral longitudinal axis of the anchor body.
 27. The suture anchorassembly as recited in claim 23, wherein the first interior planarsurface and the second interior planar surface are generally parallelrelative to each other.
 28. The suture anchor assembly as recited inclaim 23, wherein an intersection of the first interior planar surfaceand the second interior planar surface defines a line.
 29. The sutureanchor assembly as recited in claim 23, wherein the passage at theproximal end of the anchor body is an internal passage.
 30. A sutureanchor comprising: an anchor body including a distal end, a proximalend, a length extending along a central longitudinal axis of the anchorbody, an exterior surface, a passage defined at least partially by afirst interior surface spaced opposite to a second interior surface, andan exterior helical thread surrounding at least a portion of thepassage, wherein the passage extends about the central longitudinalaxis, the passage extends from an opening located at the proximal end ofthe anchor body, and the passage extends at least partially along thelength of the anchor body; a rigid support fixed by the anchor bodyagainst relative movement along the central longitudinal axis of theanchor body, wherein the rigid support is attached to the first interiorsurface and to the second interior surface of the passage, the rigidsupport is spaced axially away from the opening at the proximal endalong the central longitudinal axis, and the rigid support is located inthe passage and surrounded by the helical thread; at least one tissuesecuring suture having a suture length and supported by the rigidsupport, wherein at least a portion of at least one tissue securingsuture is disposed in the passage between the rigid support and theopening at the proximal end and surrounded by the helical thread, the atleast a portion of the at least one tissue securing suture that isdisposed in the passage is surrounded by the exterior surface of theanchor body, and the at least one tissue securing suture includes afirst end and a second end that extend out of the opening located at theproximal end of the anchor body; and a driver having a cannula, whereinthe cannula has a distal opening and a proximal opening, the driverengaging the anchor body through at least a portion of the passage, andwherein the first end and the second end of the at least one tissuesecuring suture extend out of the proximal opening of the cannula. 31.The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein the rigidsupport is secured at the fixed longitudinal position at an interfacebetween the rigid support and the first interior surface and the secondinterior surface of the passage.
 32. The suture anchor assembly asrecited in claim 30, wherein the rigid support is secured in the fixedlongitudinal position by the first interior surface and the secondinterior surface of the passage of the anchor body.
 33. The sutureanchor assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein the external helicalthread extends to the proximal end of the anchor body.
 34. The sutureanchor assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein the driver engages thefirst interior surface and the second interior surface of the passage.35. The suture anchor assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein thepassage at the proximal end of the anchor body is an internal passage.